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you know when i was born on my birth certificate it says English so then why in my own country am i not allowed to be English! every form every bit of data someone has on you says your white british grrr i'm not white british than can be said about several people & several different races, i'm English. How come antwhere you go in England there is no helpline numbers for the white Englishman, google it there is no civil right sites or no human right sights for the white Englishman, this is a complete joke. every nationality has the right to challenge what they want apart from the white Englishman in his own country. sorry used to be his own country.

- Daren (Used To Be A Proud) Englishman, nottingham, 08/06/2009 23:48
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When challenged about the systematic removal of civil liberties this government repeatedly spouts "anti terror" and that its in the public interest. However the removal of individuals with known terror links is frequently blocked in favour of their human rights. The result risks remain and our rights diminish as individuals. The Icelandic nation knows this as it was on the receiving end of our anti terror laws readily used for a different purpose, deeply worrying.

- Steve, Hereford, 23/02/2009 16:05
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However Labour have improved thne human rights for known terrorists, illegal immigrants / asylum seekers and anyone else that is not British, a round of applause is needed for this Anti Britsih party.

- Brandon Thomas, SW7, London UK, 23/02/2009 15:14
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this is more than a statement of recent history,it is an observation of the present and the future. last week it was reported that the police want cctv in every pub, today the talk is of lollipop attendants with cctv, tomorrow?
cctv in cats eyes perhaps?
in the space of just over a decade, pretty much the time we've had a socialist ('government of the people'?)civil liberties hard won since before magna carta have been eroded, abolished and corrupted to suit the deeply hidden aims of who knows who? all this has either been done by stealth, with the approval of the great unwashed, terrified by the overtly exaggerated threat of terrorim, or by corrupting the spirit, if not the ambiguous word of the law.
councils spy on people who want to send their kids to a school, the kids are spied on at school, beware if the lid of your wheelie bin isn't totally shut and don't take a photo of plod, or a squaddie.
however, the root of all evil cannot be squarely planted at the labour doorstep, both other parties are guilty to a greater, or lesser extent.
how does it go? we the people/ the land of free speech/ an Englishman's home is his castle. councils and governments were established as servents of the public, as a cement to bind together the fabric of society.
for too long the tail has wagged the dog.

- M.O'Brien, london.uk, 23/02/2009 15:07
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In recent years, there has been an extreme acceleration in laws which enable people to be spied on either by CCTV, phone tapping, or any other 'justifiable' means under the banner of the war on terror. In my opinion this is simply a euphemism for democracy to be thrown out of the window in favour of a police state, the likes of which have not been seen since the dark days of Stalin and Hitler. No other country in the Western world is put under such scrutiny. In conjunction with this we have the episode of an opposition MP being arrested for doing his duty both as an opposition and consituency MP. What security threat was he? The countries which immediately spring to mind for this level of surveillance are Zimbabwe and, not too long ago, Greece under the junta to name two. I am extremely worried about where this is all leading too and so should all other law-abiding citizens of this country. What is the Conservative opposition doing My perception is nothing. Why is there not a louder voice from the population? Are we so cowed or simply apathetic? It is a known fact that the police, like HMCR, do not readily relinquish powers once given and the course planned by the Labour Party will bulldoze on, like a juggernaut, until we all wake up one morning to find that we are living in a totalitarian police state

- Ian, Cranbrook, Kent, 23/02/2009 14:52
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I would be happy to have my DNA and fingerprints on a national database if I trusted the people who had access to it, but I don't and with good reason.

Imagine your DNA was found at a crime scene and because you were innocent you had no alibi. Our over stretched police have targets to hit, and now you've got to prove your innocence rather than have them prove your guilt. If that sounds far fetched, it happens today more often than you would think. There have been cases of innocent people caught out in this way already. A young chap who's DNA was on record was arrested for stealing letters from a post box. His DNA was found on some of the letters, it was on record and he was dragged in. They tried to make him accept a caution on the basis it would be a lot worse if he didn't. So why was his DNA on the letters? They were christmas cards he had posted.

ID cards suffer the same problem. If a crime is commited with your card, either because it's been copied or stolen, the onus will be on you to prove your innocence. ID cards have a further problem in that they introduce a US style social security number. ID fraud in the states is worsened in part because most companies uniquely identify their clients using that one number. So if you know someone's number you stand a good chance of being able to impersonate them.

The key thing here though is can we trust the people who can access this information? I don't think we can, and that is the fault of our terrified government.

- Ian, london, 23/02/2009 11:22
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Try photographing a policeman or public building to find out. maximum sentence ten years

- Alan Green, Woodford Green, 23/02/2009 10:11
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Labour inroduces 3000+ laws since being in power. What on earth did they find that neeed fixing apart from satisfying some bizarre political dogma?

- Keith Price, Luton, England, 22/02/2009 21:33
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Great Britain under nuLabour and the stewardship of Gordon Brown has become a nation which suffers from paranoia. But that has suited Brown and his cronies as he attempts to cement his hold on power.

At the next election I will be exercising my democratic right (if they have not curtailed that already) to make sure that they are removed from power.

My only hope is that the incoming government will see fit to repeal all these horrendus laws.

- Ian G-B, London, UK, 22/02/2009 17:19
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This has been patently obvious for years, shame the press and the opposition haven't been shouting louder about it.

- John, Cambridge, 22/02/2009 12:47
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All of these bad laws will have to be repealed

- Dee, essex, 22/02/2009 10:32
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There has been a huge loss of civil liberties under this government, particularly since Brown superseded (underseded?) Blair.
Having hijacked 55% of Blair's 2005 majority, the Brown government proceded to hijack the law-making process and is now using it to trumpet their authoritarian, quasi-religious moralistic dogma on a wide range of issues, including security, drugs and sex.
This government needs to be taught that the statute book is there solely to specify the difference between what is acceptable and what is unacceptable in a modern secular democracy, not to trumpet their own spin and dogma. The statute book should never be corrupted in this way.
Which goes to show that we're being governed by a bunch of jumped-up, power-crazed amateurs. The only practical solution begins with getting Labour out and ends with keeping Labour out.

- David Tong, Southampton, UK, 21/02/2009 17:01
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Has the UK suffered a loss of civil liberties?

You nean we still have some left????

......When did this happen???


GERONIMO

- Geronimo, LONDON MIDDLESEX, 21/02/2009 02:58
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I have spent time in UK five times in past 12 years and to say this has gone unnoticed is ridiculous. What a visitor (born in UK) notices even more is the stunning apathy by the British to what they know has happened and is now out of control. Yes, it is very close to a police state. Also amazing are widespread comments that is doesn't matter unless you are a terrorist or criminal. Please save yourselves and your country from this hell you are creating. Don't blame Labour. Apathy and ignorance allowed it to flourish at every level of society. Do you not understand what a monster you have created when you can't even give a child a hug without being suspected of foul thoughts and deeds. Cameras record and report your every action, including walking the dog (is it registered?) and putting the rubbish out (is bin too full or an inch or two from "correct" parking spot?).

- E.Cowham, Melbourne, Australia, 20/02/2009 23:14
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We've already got your personal details, your driving details, your kids' details, your beer preference, the number of minutes late for work, your friend's details, your dog's details, how long you spend on the web, your size of sock, the wife's favourite chocs, how carefully you mow your lawn and how many times a day you scratch yourself. If there's anything else we should know it's your obligation to tell us. Any attempt to avoid so doing will render you liable to a £3000 fine or two weeks in the slammer.

- John Problem, Hackney Wick, London, UK, 20/02/2009 17:23
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Our big issue here is terrorism for it is as a result of fanatical terrorist bombers on our streets that we are forced us to live in a restricted enviroment with cameras everywhere, massive airport security delays and the ongoing threat and expense that all that holds for us. Perhaps one day when they they love their children more than they hate us we shall be able to go back to the days of safety and freedom that we so used to enjoy and we shall all live in harmony.

- Hank Link, London UK, 20/02/2009 17:21
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Come April 1st, we shall show the government that we have not failed to notice our creeping imprisonment, the loss of our ancient rights, the casual abolition of safeguards, the ubiquity of surveillance, the fostering of a climate of fear, mistrust and suspicion; and the looting and mugging of all our wealth by the banksters.

- Neil M., london uk,, 20/02/2009 15:50
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we're losing our right to privacy every day in America. the mayor of Chicago wants to put cameras on every corner and the idiot people elected as president this past November wants to tax people on every mile they drive in their cars by placing a GPS device in every automobile so the government can track everywhere you go!!! it's time for a revolt; people have to stand up to these tyrannical governments!!

- Steve, Chicago, IL, USA, 20/02/2009 15:36
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One civil liberty, which has been lost is the right to walk along Downing Street. A few years ago anyone could walk the length of this street from Whitehall to St. James's Park and even take a photograph or video of 10 Downing Street. Will ever have that right returned to us?
That is surely a great example of loss of civil liberty.

- Arthur Lincoln, Roeselare, Belgium, 20/02/2009 15:10
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What a cheek, of course we the public have noticed our rights are being eroded! The same as our national way of life is being eroded. The Convention for MOdern Liberty (whoever they are when they're at home) are getting money for old rope, stating the obvious like this.

- Sarah Bradshaw, Enfield, Middx, 20/02/2009 14:42
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Well maybe the country will wake up to this despicable governments action's and antic's. Which is now hitting home, to the general public. The loss of our liberties are very serious and is a despicable act of
treachery by a government who are supposed to look after our FREEDOMS, not curtail them.

- Ebin Donk, angus scotland, 20/02/2009 14:41
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Food for thought! Your Oyster card can be tracked every time you use it and with the CCTV cameras on public transport . . .

- Robert Reagan, Astatula, Florida, U.S.A., 20/02/2009 13:53
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Maria is absolutely right.

Shame a great country as this has been ruined by all this.

- Kate, London, 20/02/2009 13:26
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To say the public haven't noticed is an insult. We have lost civil liberties, the whole EU walks over us and the Government fiddle the rules to suit themselves. Everything is rendered so politically incorrect that we are rendered voiceless. Our culture, our country and our infrastructure is at the point of collapse and thanks to this government Britain has been served up the EU on the heirlooms, inherited from those loved this great land.

Oh yes! we have noticed.

- Maria, London, 20/02/2009 12:01
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If you have "nothing to fear if you are innocent", how do you know you are innocent?

- Chaz, London, UK, 20/02/2009 09:41
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Most of the people here sound like desendants of the recidivists who complained when it became law to register births, or the ones who moaned when the police started taking finger prints. If life was controlled by you lot we'd all look like the Flintstones. There are too many people who seem to think the law is a pick and choose option. They ALL apply to you, not just the ones you aprove of. Be nice to people for a change.

- Martin H. Watson, teddington, 20/02/2009 09:20
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If we have all suffered a profoundly disturbing loss of human rights, are we all in line for a minimum payment of £2,500?

- Patricia, LONDON, 20/02/2009 08:59
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THe UK is now a Police State and is infinitely worse than banana republics in Africa.

Joe Public have only themselves to blame. You elect idiots into Parliament, what do you expect?

- Reuben Camara, Morecambe/Lancaster, 20/02/2009 07:06
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These laws are being implemented across the EU, but this Government is using the recession to hide their actions. Couldn't of planned this better myself, churnalism such an inept expression that has served this Country onto a silver platter.

- William, Haywards Heath UK, 20/02/2009 06:17
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I keep hearing Nulaybour's fault, Nulabour's fault! Whatever gives you the idea that the extreme right is going to change things if they get in? They will embrace this new tech control just like any group in power would. Get rid of ALL of them and start fresh again. Mind, you may have to revert back to the year 1215. Gee, what a mess I'm glad I'm out of it now.

- Jon Vickers, SC USA, 19/02/2009 22:58
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Agreed - a total erosion of civil liberties. They were replaced by ill thought out legislation that will bring this country to its knees.

- Keith Price, Luton, England, 19/02/2009 21:54
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Wasn't George Orwell a Brit?

- Mike, Denver, USA, 19/02/2009 21:47
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Start phoning yr MP and also start getting your friends to do so to tell him you want to hear him asking questions about this. Why do we need the corrupt EU? This has been done to join the EU.

- Peter, Camberley UK, 19/02/2009 21:32
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People you know what to do.

- Ebin Donk, angus scotland, 19/02/2009 18:45
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Whoever voted in these idiots, just remember its your fault the next time you are tracked by facial recognition CCTV across London and stopped by the police for your ID card and swabbed for DNA because you forgot it and thrown in jail under the terrorism act for daring to complain and bugged by the local council because you didnt recycle....

- Simon, London, 19/02/2009 18:35
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David of Barking mad, Of course we have lost civil liberties. Remember an older gentlemen being removed from a labour conference for querying Blair statements. There have been dozen of incidents since. A new law has hit the statute books you cannot photo a policemen,what happens if it's done by accident. Dont photo chidren in concerts, dont use cameras in malls. Questions being asked of train spotters. The whole PC thing and new laws are hedging us towards apolice state. Wakeup for goodness sake. Your point about criminals being looked after and not the victims, is exactly a loss of civil rights.

- Ebin Donk, angus scotland, 19/02/2009 18:20
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I'm so tired of the "if you're innocent you have nothing to fear" line. Being continually filmed and having no choice whether my personal information is collected or shared is treating me like a criminal plain and simple. If you don't think these powers will be abused look at how anti-terror measures have been applied by local councils. The police will ask for as much power as they can get and it's the governments job to hold them in check, that's why there is no national police force and a presumption of innocence. Would be much easier is they could just convict people on heresay don't you think? People have fought for generations for the freedoms we are letting slip quietly away.

- Mark, London, 19/02/2009 17:58
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Spot on!

- Dave Davies, Basingstoke, 19/02/2009 17:42
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Drive down the road... caught on camera. Book a flight...caught on government computer. Buy something on the internet... reported to the government. Make or receive a payment to your local bank account that is above a certain amount.... reported to the authorities. Thank god we still have a free press. That is worth dying for as long as we have a vote. And use that vote....

- Bondy, spain, 19/02/2009 17:39
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The average person has not lost their civil liberties.....only those that commit crimes. Sadly the system is there to protect the criminal not the general public. The likes of Liberty and such liberal organizations are not interested in helping the average citizen, they are only interested in the 'low lifes' that they represent (and for a sizeable amount of money via the Legal Aid Fund). These organisations are in the business to make money and they do that by representing filfth like Qatada. For the vast majority of British citizens, their liberty has not been affected, but their faith in justice has and the protection of the like of Qatada is totally rediculous.

- David K, Barkingside, Essex, 19/02/2009 17:01
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Government has used the terrorist attacks to quell and subjugate the Nation by way of statutes designed to curtail our rights to privacy and dilute our human rights. The real problem is that the population cannot make up its mind up as to whether the affect is benefical or otherwise and this state of doubt is allowing the Government to steadily continue to rein in our freedoms by playing 'ad nauseam' the 'fear card'.

- John, Leighton Buzzard, Beds, 19/02/2009 17:00
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Abu Quatada seems to be doing alright civil liberties wise. Some might even think he's taking liberties. And as no doubt the Govt lack the cajones to send him back home he will continue to do so.

- Squiz, islington, 19/02/2009 16:52
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This government has done the terrorist work for them. Daily they give them propaganda victories. Imprisonment without trial, torture, Iraq, the list is endless.

While so their so called counter terrorist legislation is pathetic. As the press recorded this week you face up to ten years in jail for photographing a policeman, and never photograph a building, just incase the man in a uniform thinks you want to blow it up.

Today we are more like Stalin's Russia than the land of the free.

- Alan Green, Woodford Green, 19/02/2009 16:39
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This is ABSOLUTELY TRUE! I've watched it in fear from abroad over the entire duration of Labour's stint in power: when you watch the UK from a distance it is easier to pick out serious news amongst all the dumbed-down celebrity gibberish which is deliberately peddled (along with super casinos and round the clock drinking) to confuse the picture.

When my 6 year old son gets his next passport, he will have his fingerprints, DNA, and photo that can be used to capture him on security cameras all stored on a national database. The Government would like to add to that all his health and educational records, linked-in to all his next-of-kin, their financial position and all the places they've ever lived. What a great way to start out adult life!

Labour and the non-practicing lawyers who swelled its ranks, have tinkered with laws incessantly in their quest to remove the founding legal right of presumption of innocence. They would like some futuristic 'Brave New World' device of easily sorting out 'us' from 'them', ostensibly to solve as yet unperpetrated crime. Unfortunately this is not 'futuristic'.

- Roz, Chamonix, France, 19/02/2009 16:36
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When was Cromwell resurrected? It's about time to kill him, bury him, dig him up and decapitate him once more. Then let us all get back to what we've fought and died for - freedom, respect and joy of life. All words and concepts these Cromwelabour zealots don't even understand -except when it comes to their own lives of course.

- Judith C, London, England, 19/02/2009 16:13
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Labour have for ideological reasons maintained a sustained and cumulative attack on civil libertes. This is the true unacceptable face of socialism, but of course NULabour is really 'NuTrotski' Britain's weakness is the absence of a written constitution, such would have put in place safeguards to protect civil rights, but its too late. I only hope labour's successors undoe all the terible mischief inflicted on the British people asap.

- Jeremiah, London, 19/02/2009 15:59
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If you've got nothing to hide, you've nothing to fear... Except, of course, the sadistic kindred spirits of Robert Mugabe, present in EVERY society and government, and just GAGGING to get their hands on this level of information and control.

After ID cards are introduced and required for international travel, they will then make it so you need to use it to travel within the country, then in order to bank, and finally to make any kind of purchase.

The ID cards have RFID chips. Couple this with public RFID scanners which can scan large areas from a distance, and the mass facial recognition CCTV cameras being trialled in China, soon anyone leaving their home without a valid ID card could be identified automatically.

Hitler and Stalin would have wet themselves for this stuff.

Idiots may shrug and say they're not bothered about being tracked - might they be bothered if the powers that be prevented them - in a way that is utterly unavoidable, by simply turning off their card's validity - from leaving their home, or buying food?

- Mike, merseyside, 19/02/2009 15:51
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Those of us who have been warning about the irreversible loss of liberty are labelled "conspiracy theorists". Now will you all please wake up and realise that we are being enclosed in a fascistic prison. Unless we stop giving our power away to politicians and bankers then there will be no liberties left to save. We are being imprisoned in the "New World Order".

- Neil M., london uk,, 19/02/2009 15:28
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To all those who voted this shower in 3 times: IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT

- Andrew Ellis, England, 19/02/2009 15:20
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